The Mahabharata of Krishna-Dwaipayana Vyasa, Volume 2 eBook

darts and broad-headed shafts, Bhishma engaged in
battle with the diadem decked (Arjuna). And the
king of Avanti engaged with the ruler of Kasi, and
the ruler of the Sindhus engaged with Bhimasena.
And king Yudhishthira with his sons and counsellors
engaged with Salya, the famous chief of the Madras.
And Vikarna engaged with Sahadeva, and Chitrasena
with Sikhandin. And the Matsyas, O king, engaged
with Duryodhana, and Sakuni; and Drupada and Chekitana,
and that mighty car-warrior Satyaki engaged in battle
with the high-souled Drona aided by his son.
And Kripa and Kritavarman both rushed against Dhrishtadyumna.
And thus, all over the field, rushing bodies of horses,
of elephants and cars, engaged with one another in
battle. And although there were no clouds in
the sky, yet flashes of lightning were seen.
And all the points of the compass were covered with
dust. And, O king, fierce meteors were seen failing
with thundering noise. And violent winds blew
and a shower of dust fell from above. And the
sun, covered by the dust raised by the troops, disappeared
in the firmament. And all the warriors, covered
by that dust and battling with weapons, were deprived
of their senses. And the sound made by weapons,
all capable of penetrating through every armour and
hurled from heroic arms, became a tremendous uproar.
And, O bull of Bharata’s race, weapons hurled
from excellent arms and possessed of stellar brightness,
illumined the whole welkin. And variegated shields
made of bull’s hides and embossed with gold
were strewn, O bull of Bharata’s race, all over
the field. And heads and limbs were seen falling
on all sides, cut off with swords and scimitars possessed
of solar effulgence. And great car-warriors, the
wheels, axles, and boxes of whose cars were broken,
fell down on the ground, their steeds slain and their
tall standards tumbling down.[398] And many car-warriors
having been slain, their steeds, mangled with weapons,
fell down as they ran dragging the cars (to which they
were yoked). And, in many places over the field,
excellent steeds, afflicted with arrows, with limbs
mangled, and with their traces on, ran, dragging the
car-yokes after them. And many car-warriors, with
their charioteers and steeds, were seen, O king, to
be crushed by single elephants endued with great strength.[399]
And in that battle, in the midst of large forces,
many elephants, scenting the odour of the temporal
juice of their compeers, began to snuff the breeze
repeatedly. And the whole field was strewn with
slain elephants, deprived of life by means of broad-headed
shafts and falling down with the wooden edifices and
the guides on their backs. And many elephants,
in, the midst of large forces crushed, with the standards
and warriors on their backs, by huge compeers urged
by their guides, fell down on the field. And
many car-shafts, O king, were seen to be broken in
that battle by huge elephants using their trunks,
each of which resembled the trunk of the prince of